Exploring Taipei, Taiwan

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Deciding what to do and where to go when traveling can be overwhelming. When you go online, numerous results appear and it just adds more on your list. I have prepared a list of the places we visited, to help you narrow down your (possibly) long list of destinations in Taipei, Taiwan.

Looking for an accommodation, is a tough job most especially when you have things to consider. One way that could help you finalize is short listing your choices, and take your best pick. For our trip, my colleagues and I decided to go Meander Hostel. I swear, we made the right choice. It may be a hostel, but they also have private rooms just in case you don't feel like sharing a room and bathroom with strangers. We booked two rooms, one for us girls that is good for 3pax and one for the boys that is for 2pax. The staff is really friendly, and the common area is very accommodating. On our last day while my friends were out doing their last minute shopping, I slept on the bean bag for 1-2 hours that's how chill the place is. Haha




We arrived at 1:15 AM in the Taoyuan National Airport and had a 30 minutes (more or less) cab ride going to Meander Hostel in Ximending. After settling in, we went to a convenience store to grab a snack before finally hitting the sack.

The next day, the sight seeing began.

Here are a few attractions that we got to see during our visit:

Taipei 101 

No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City

With 1,671 ft, it is known to be the tallest building in the world from 2004-2010. The elevator also used to be the fastest in the world traveling at 60.6 km/h bringing the passengers from 84 floors in only 37 seconds (5th to 89th), where the visitors can have a 360-degree view of Taipei City.
In my opinion, I don't think it's worth paying Php 800+ pesos. Not only do you line up for (if your lucky) less than hour, but there's really nothing to do there except to check the scenery and have your photo taken. There's a souvenir shop too, but you can find something way cheaper than what they offer there - unless you like collecting souvenirs.

Hello My Name is Paul Smith Exhibit

No. 1, Section 1, Bade Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

A design museum of the well known designer Paul Smith, that shows a recreation of his office, studio, inspirations, collections and design collaborations.
Marga and I wasn't really able to go here, because we chose to take ourselves out for an adventure (walking around with no definite destination). According to our friends who pushed through with the visit, it was fun, creative and intriguing at the same time.
They sell Paul Smith merchandise just in case you're interested, but don't expect it to be cheap.

Yehliu Geopark

No. 167-1, Gangdong Road, Wanli District, New Taipei City

Known for its amazing sea-erosion landscape where you can find the famous Queen's head and Dragon's Head Rock formations, that are named after their shapes. Walk along the honeycomb and mushroom rocks and have your photos taken here. This is a great place to take your OOTDs but when you do, be mindful of the red lines that you're not allowed to cross for safety measures.

Check the weather before visiting this location, as it can get really hot. There are no trees or shaded areas most especially in Honeycomb and in Mushroom Rock. It was 37 degrees when we visited Yehliu that we had to force ourselves to walk around. Bring water and an umbrella if possible.

Shifen Old Street

226, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Pingxi District

This is famous for the sky lanterns, wherein you can have your wishes be written on thin colored papers and let it fly. It is said that releasing sky lanterns is good luck, symbolizing your worries floating away. There are also a lot of souvenir shops and food stalls along the railway, where you can shop and grab a bite to eat. While you're in Shifen Old Street make sure you try the famous Peanut Ice Cream, as we weren't able to find it anywhere else.

Shifen Waterfalls

No.11, Gankeng, Pingxi District, New Taipei City

Being 66 feet tall and 130 feet wide, Shifen Waterfalls is the known to be broadest waterfall in Taiwan. It takes a 10-15 minute walk to reach the waterfalls from the entrance. There are also restaurants and seats going to the waterfall, just in case you want to relax and enjoy nature.

Jiufen

From what I learned, years ago only nine families lived in the area. Due to the unavailability of transportation, the only way for them to receive or restock goods is through ship deliveries which they normally order in nine portions. Jiufen is rich in history and culture, and it is also known for the narrow alleyways which inspired the Japanese animated film ‘Spirited Away’. If you want to appreciate it even more hit up Spirited Away as there are unique similarities from the film. One thing that flashes in my mind when I hear Jiufen, is the stairs. Do wear comfy shoes when going here, because there will be a lot of stairs and not much shops with chairs where you can rest. You need to keep moving so that you won't block anyone or cause traffic as it gets really crowded, given the narrow walkway.

Ximending

No. 127, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City

No. 211, Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City

We had no temple visit included on our itinerary, but there were a couple that we saw walking along the streets of Taipei. When Marga and I decided to have our own adventure and left our friends (who were going to Paul Smith's exhibit) with an indefinite destination, we thought "Hey, why not visit a temple?". We thought of going to a couple of temples, without realizing that it's exhausting by foot haha! So went to one instead, which is Lungshan Temple.

It was our first time to see and visit a Buddhist temple, and I can't help but be amazed. There were a lot of people at that time, but it didn't seem crowded at all. A few (including Marga and myself) were tourists, while most are buddhists doing rituals and practices. It was purely enlightening. Before leaving, I made sure that I light up an incense, and that has to be my favorite part. It's a normal thing for my family and relatives, but doing the practice in a temple brought me so much spiritual joy.


Most of the tours and attractions can be found and booked online, you may check KKday and/or Klook. We booked our Northern Taiwan Day Tour (Yehliu, Shifen and Jiufen) with KKday, the best thing about it is that it's hassle free. You don't have to worry about exerting too much effort commuting and spending too much money, since you already have a bus (and a tour guide) that will take you to your destination of choice.

To see more of our trip, you may check geoffreview.com's vlogs here:


We were lucky enough that it didn't rain during our trip, but it's best to check the weather before booking your flight as it could get as hot as 37 degrees during August. A lot of people say that it gets drizzly to a point of a rain, make sure to pack an umbrella just in case.

We loved Taiwan, and we're looking forward to visiting again soon!